IRELAND v CANADA: Gerry Thornleytalks to Shane Jennings, who is looking to take his chance against Canada and add to his caps tally

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS for the starting Irish XV tomorrow in Thomond Park, and especially so for Shane Jennings. Now 27, it's remarkable to think that the one-time stand-out star of his Irish schools generation will only be winning his fourth cap against Canada. This, for him, is a gilt-edged chance to stake his claim to face up to the prince of opensides, Richie McCaw, a week hence.

He knows it too. Acknowledging the stiff competition at openside and the continuing excellence of David Wallace in recent years, somehow his face didn't seem to quite fit with the previous Ireland coach, who afforded him only one cap, in the second Test against Argentina in the summer of 2007 prior to his exclusion from the World Cup squad.

Jennings came on as a replacement in the defeat to New Zealand in Wellington last summer, and then started against Australia, only to last a mere 25 minutes. You wonder if this has frustrated him. "Yeah, it is frustrating. Obviously it's something I've always wanted since I started playing. But there's been quality there and with the last coach he just felt I wasn't needed. That's something you just have to keep pushing at. It's his opinion that you have to change. And it's the same this weekend. If I wasn't involved I'd be the first to ask Deccie. You just need to keep positive and keep working. I do believe I am a good player but I also believe I have to keep improving myself constantly."

That said, this chance is not necessarily because there's been a change of coach. "That's not the case. Everybody's got an equal chance, just fortunately for me this week I've got the nod. There's obviously people hurt in the squad, but personally I'm over the moon and delighted. I'm really looking forward to the game. And hopefully I can play well to warrant selection for future games."

Returning to Ireland as a Heineken Cup winner from his much celebrated two-year sojourn to Leicester, things probably haven't since panned out for Jennings as he would have hoped. Last season, not unreasonably, Michael Cheika felt compelled to juggle Jennings and Keith Gleeson, sometimes converting Jennings into a blindside flanker. Only of late has he had a solid run at seven.

"You need consistency in any position, trying to learn each week from your mistakes, as well as picking up things from other players. I know that consistency has helped my game and it's just a matter of keeping that consistency going with Leinster and trying to impress Checks to keep that position. That way I can keep improving, because by no means do I think I'm the finished player."

That he was a reluctant number six brooks little argument. "I don't know how to play six is one thing," he jokes. "I just like the freedom of seven. Just obviously trying to make a nuisance of yourself at the breakdown. At six it's more difficult to get into the game."

His form came on another level in Leinster's Heineken Cup wins over Edinburgh and Wasps, although for Jennings it's come with a rider. "This season I haven't got my hands on the ball an awful lot, which I'm trying to improve. Defence has been going okay. The two (Heineken Cup) games have been strange in that we've just taken our chances with Leinster. But our defensive displays have been good and I've been happy with that."

You'd expect him to have more chances to get his hands on the ball tomorrow, though the need for another openside in the backrow such as Jennings, perhaps even in addition to David Wallace when McCaw and co come calling in a week's time, has arguably been accentuated by the ELVs and the additional competitiveness at the breakdown caused by the ELVs and the IRB diktat regarding players staying on their feet at the tackle area.

"I don't think an awful lot has changed in the game, to be perfectly honest, and I'm sure an awful lot of players are saying that as well. I think you have to be a lot smarter at the breakdown. You'll see the cuter players doing better because you'll see fellas being taken out before the ruck at some stages. But it makes for good competition at the ruck. It is something that if you can improve at it, watching videos and different techniques, then it is a special area in the game at the moment."

Nor does he see this as a workout, or a coaching experiment, for next week. "We've got an opportunity to go out and represent our country at the weekend and I don't think anyone wants to do that an injustice, and I'm certainly not one of them.

"So if I've a chance this weekend I'm going to put as much pressure as I can on the coaches to put me in there next weekend. And that's why I need to put in a big performance."